Album guide ·
Ghetto Gods explained: EarthGang's metamorphosis album
A fan guide to Ghetto Gods (2022): release story, singles, guests, the deluxe edition, and what the duo said it was about.
If Mirrorland was a fantasy version of Atlanta, Ghetto Gods is the real city: its people, its pressure, and its glow. It's EarthGang's second Dreamville album.
The basics
- Released: February 25, 2022, a month after its original January 28 date
- Labels: Dreamville, Interscope, and Spillage Village
- Length: 17 tracks, about 53 minutes
- Deluxe edition: July 1, 2022, adding six songs
- Chart peak: No. 114 on the Billboard 200
Before release, fans got to hear the album at free live shows in the US and London.
A "metamorphosis album"
The duo called it a metamorphosis album, a record celebrating people who turn themselves into icons. WowGr8 said he wanted it to sound certain and confident, a contrast with the uncertainty of Spilligion. Much of it was recorded during the pandemic, and "Smoke Sum" was made during the 2020 protests in Atlanta.
On the way to the album, the duo released tribute songs called "Aretha" and "Erykah," built on samples of Aretha Franklin and Erykah Badu. Those tell you who they consider gods.
Singles
- "American Horror Story", December 2021
- "All Eyes On Me", January 2022, with a music video
- "Amen" with Musiq Soulchild, February 2022
The guest list
The standard edition features Future, JID, J. Cole, Musiq Soulchild, Baby Tate, CeeLo Green, Nick Cannon, and Ari Lennox. The deluxe adds Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y, Smino, and South African rapper Blxckie. Having CeeLo Green of Goodie Mob on board is a nice nod to the Atlanta legends the duo grew up on.
How it landed
Reviews were positive, with a Metacritic average of 76. Critics praised how it moves between reggae, gospel, funk, R&B, and rap while staying rooted in Atlanta.
Next up: Perfect Fantasy, the boss battle.